07 Dec 2015

There have been incidents in which wild animals were found with injuries from gunshots, especially in Chobe West.

This was raised by the Chobe District Council chairperson, Mr Mwanota Kachana when addressing the last session of the council recently in Kasane.

“Six zebras were found dead of gunshots while three elephants were put down due to fatal injuries from gunshots,” he said.

Cllr Kachana said snaring was also a concern in the district as 18 snares were removed during routine patrols this quarter.

The council chairperson said five people were arrested for snaring a buffalo around the Kazungula area, adding that three snares were removed from elephants and another from a buffalo.

He said wildlife poaching and illegal fishing were also prevalent in the district despite concerted efforts by all law enforcement agencies to curb the practices.

“During the period under review, seven cases of illegal fishing and six cases of wildlife poaching were found,” he noted.

Cllr Kachana pleaded with councillors to urge communities to desist from such acts as they have the potential to deplete wildlife resources and affect the area’s tourism.

Still on wildlife-related matters, the council chairperson announced that the district was experiencing unusually high mortalities of elephants this year.

Most of the cases, he said, had been registered along the river front and artificial water points in the Phoha area.

He noted that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) was burning carcasses to avoid the spread of diseases in case the animals died from a communicable disease.

“Veterinarians have also been engaged to conduct some disease surveillance so as to establish the course of the deaths,” he said.

The council chairperson urged fellow councillors to caution their communities to avoid contact with such dead elephants, and also to report if they find dead elephants so that samples could be collected to determine the cause of death.

Regarding human-wildlife conflict, he said 70 reports of various incidents relating to damage of property and injury by wildlife were received.

He said P200 000 wa s owed as compensation to the community for damaged property.

“This increasing conflict is due to the drying up of temporary water sources resulting in wildlife flocking along the Chobe River,” he noted. ENDS